North Central Junior High School

Summary:

North Central Junior High School is a public middle school located in North Liberty, Iowa, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 622 students. The school is part of the Iowa City Community School District, which is ranked 221 out of 309 districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

North Central Junior High School consistently outperforms the Iowa City Community School District and the state of Iowa in academic proficiency across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 86.1% of 7th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 81.5% for the district and 77.3% for the state. Similarly, in Mathematics, 76.6% of 7th-grade students were proficient or better, compared to 70.8% for the district and 69.9% for the state. The school has maintained a strong statewide ranking, consistently placing in the top 20% of Iowa middle schools, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger in the 2023-2024 school year.

Compared to some nearby schools, such as Wilson Middle School and Southeast Junior High School, North Central Junior High School has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (23.47% in 2022-2023), suggesting it may serve a more affluent student population. However, the school's student body is more racially diverse than some nearby schools, with 68.81% White, 12.86% African American, 7.4% Hispanic, and 3.7% Asian students in the 2022-2023 school year.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 180 E. Forevergreen Rd
       North Liberty, IA  52317


(319) 688-1210

District: Iowa City Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
145th of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,555 Help


Students who attend North Central Junior High School usually attend:

High:    Liberty High School

Feeder schools for North Central Junior High School:

Elementary:    Buford Garner Elementary
    Christine Grant Elementary
    James Van Allen Elementary School
    Kirkwood Elementary School
    More...

Student/teacher ratio:  15.6 Help
Number of students:  622

Racial breakdown:

White:
68.8%
African American:
12.9%
Hispanic:
7.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  23.5% Help


 See top rated Iowa middle schools

 Compare North Central Junior High School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details North Central Junior High School ranks better than 57% of middle schools in Iowa. It also ranks first among 3 ranked middle schools in the Iowa City Community School District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 60.31. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details North Central Junior High School has the smallest middle school student body size in the Iowa City Community School District. Racial makeup is: White (68.8%), African American (12.9%), Hispanic (7.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 23.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Iowa City Community School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at North Central Junior High School is 15.6, which is the highest among 3 middle schools in the Iowa City Community School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare North Central Junior High School employs 39.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at North Central Junior High School is $13,555, which is the lowest among 3 middle schools in the Iowa City Community School District!
Schooldigger Rankings:

North Central Junior High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks North Central Junior High School 145th of 337 Iowa public middle schools. (See North Central Junior High School in the ranking list.)

Iowa City Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Iowa City Community School District 221st of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for North Central Junior High School?

Rank History for North Central Junior High School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 73.03 60th 349 82.8%
2013 80.76 22nd 350 93.7%
2014 78.35 34th 337 89.9%
2015 74.51 55th 349 84.2%
2016 82.66 30th 343 91.3%
2017 77.42 42nd 327 87.2%
2018 74.84 53rd 318 83.3%
2019 71.95 69th 342 79.8%
2021 72.41 67th 324 79.3%
2022 77.01 57th 337 83.1%
2023 73.63 69th 334 79.3%
2024 60.31 145th 337 57.0%
See the entire list of Iowa Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

North Central Junior High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    




Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
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100%

  

by a teacher
Friday, September 20, 2024

Open Quote The administration at North Central Junior High is deeply concerning. Once ranked among the top 30 junior high schools in Iowa, it has now fallen to 135th under the current leadership. The administration seems to prioritize its own interests over those of teachers, students and public education as a whole.
There is a troubling undercurrent of misogyny and white supremacy that cannot be ignored.
The current leadership shows little commitment to academic improvement. The principal has hired many coaches as teachers who lack fundamental knowledge in their subject areas. Moreover, the administration promotes teachers to leadership roles, even when they fail to meet minimum performance standards and criteria and do not teach any essential core curriculum.
The approach of the NCJH administration is reminiscent of the Trump administration, where loyal to the prinicpal takes precedence over classroom performance and student success.
Ethical standards are lax and there is a disregard for district, state and federal policies. Since the current principal took over, the school's ranking has steadily declined from top 91 to 57.
Test scores averages have dropped from 83 to 60 in 8 years under his leadership.
Sadly, this principal appears to be protected by a network of senior administrators where accountability seems to be lacking for certain individuals, particularly white males. Close Quote



Enrollment information for North Central Junior High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2007 253 30 11 13 2 n/a n/a 0 309
2008 286 38 13 9 4 n/a n/a 0 350
2009 299 36 15 9 1 n/a n/a 0 360
2010 312 47 22 14 1 0 0 0 396
2011 312 48 20 14 2 0 0 0 396
2012 302 51 20 21 4 0 19 0 417
2013 367 35 16 20 1 0 21 0 460
2014 381 39 12 28 0 0 11 0 471
2015 358 45 15 32 2 0 19 0 471
2016 396 35 18 29 5 0 16 0 499
2017 441 31 17 39 5 0 14 0 547
2018 418 56 13 41 4 0 18 0 550
2019 401 61 17 46 2 0 30 0 557
2020 413 52 19 48 3 0 46 0 581
2021 402 62 18 40 0 0 41 0 563
2022 398 59 14 38 0 0 36 0 545
2023 428 80 23 46 0 0 45 0 622

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at North Central Junior High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2007 309 19.0 16.3 11.7
2008 350 18.2 19.2 16.3
2009 360 21.2 17.0 17.2
2010 396 22.2 17.8 17.4
2011 396 23.1 17.1 18.7
2012 417 25.2 16.4 18.7
2013 460 27.2 16.8 16.7
2014 471 28.4 16.5 20.6
2015 471 26.0 18.1 19.7
2016 499 25.0 19.9 18
2017 547 27.8 19.6 17.4
2018 550 28.8 19.0 20
2019 557 30.7 18.0 24.1
2020 581 33.7 17.1 23.8
2021 563 34.5 16.2 25.8
2022 545 36.3 14.9 24.4
2023 622 39.7 15.6 23.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio North Central Junior High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2007 309 19.0 16.3 11.7
2008 350 18.2 19.2 16.3
2009 360 21.2 17.0 17.2
2010 396 22.2 17.8 17.4
2011 396 23.1 17.1 18.7
2012 417 25.2 16.4 18.7
2013 460 27.2 16.8 16.7
2014 471 28.4 16.5 20.6
2015 471 26.0 18.1 19.7
2016 499 25.0 19.9 18
2017 547 27.8 19.6 17.4
2018 550 28.8 19.0 20
2019 557 30.7 18.0 24.1
2020 581 33.7 17.1 23.8
2021 563 34.5 16.2 25.8
2022 545 36.3 14.9 24.4
2023 622 39.7 15.6 23.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for North Central Junior High School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $302 (2.2%) $13,252 (97.8%) $13,555

Data source: Iowa Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on North Central Junior High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 69th of 342 Middle schoolsRanks 69th of 334 Middle schools
 0.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (North Central Junior High School)81.183.3
 2.2%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)69.975.6
 5.7%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)69.974.2
 4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (North Central Junior High School)80.877.9
 2.9%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)69.466.8
 2.6%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)70.168.9
 1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (North Central Junior High School)76.285.3
 9.1%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)72.777.6
 4.9%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)69.576
 6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (North Central Junior High School)74.479
 4.6%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)70.870
 0.8%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)71.872
 0.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students557622
 11.7%
African American6180
 31.1%
American Indian20
 100%
Asian1723
 35.3%
Hispanic4646
Pacific Islander00
White401428
 6.7%
Two or More Races3045
 50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients24.1%23.5%
 0.6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about North Central Junior High School

Students who attend North Central Junior High School usually go on to attend Liberty High School

North Central Junior High School ranks 145th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at North Central Junior High School are 69% White, 13% African American, 7% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 622 students attended North Central Junior High School.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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